Homeschooling gives us a great deal of flexibility when it comes to our children's education and helping them find God's plan for their lives. What public schools might label electives, are the learning experiences that focus on our children's strengths and interests and may help them find a life-long career. They can study anything from photography to fencing or discover how to start their own business. What electives do your kids enjoy?
And remember this: that even though ...
The work is never more than 75% done.
The house is really REALLY clean about 25% of the time.
The kids smell OK 50% of the time.
They eat healthy meals 75% of the time.
The school work gets done about 80% of the time.
Deep down, your kids know they are loved 100% of the time.
You remain a faithful Mama 100% of the time.
Your arms are available for your children 100% of the time.
Hugs are welcome 100% of the time.
You're fast to respond to their hurts 100% of the time.
You're willing to have heart talks 100% of the time.
You're just that kind of Mama--you give 100%.
Are you perfect? Of course not. But you are ONE AVAILABLE MAMA ... 100% of the time.
~gena
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Relational Homeschooling
Dear Friends,
When it comes to electives, the truth is that what one student finds absolutely riveting, another may find utterly boring. While one person loves mountain bike maintenance, another may delight in oil painting, while yet another loves to sew historic costumes--all in the same family! So which of these do we choose for electives? Obviously, the answer depends on the individual.
When my kids were little, we decided that they each needed to have piano lessons. My husband had been a music teacher, I was a folk singer/songwriter, and music was an integral part of our everyday life. So, what could be more natural or more valuable than piano lessons? And, for two of my children, it was a match made in heaven. For the third, however, it was a time of increasing frustration and struggle. This extremely kinesthetic kid was not enjoying either lessons or practice, regardless of how much I tried to make it palatable. So, we finally asked him what instrument he would like to play (which would have been a good idea in the first place!). His answer? Bass guitar.
Oh. I wish I had known that.
To fast-forward: this bass-guitar playing kid, who had not thrived with piano lessons, turned out to be an extraordinary ballet dancer (!), an incredible oil painter, and a blow-your-socks-off chef. He held his own in four-part harmony a cappella singing, loved to play basketball, and had a blistering recall of obscure geographical locations.
So, when we consider which electives to set before our kids, I would suggest that you pay attention to their unique giftings and interests. As parents, it's our job to open doors and, at the same time, not force our kids through them. For more on this concept, here's my article, Of Cormorants, Cats and Kids.
Remember, stay relational!
Diana
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The Familyman
First of all, let me just make it perfectly clear--I have no idea what electives are for homeschoolers. I think I had the opportunity to choose electives in COLLEGE, and those were the classes that I could "elect" to take.
Now as it relates to homeschoolers, homeschooling is all about ELECTIVES. As parents, we get to decide what our children need to take. I feel sad and a little ticked off when I read articles written by "education experts" who tell me and you what classes our children need to take.
The thing is ... they don't KNOW OUR CHILDREN ... or us, for that matter. They don't know what our children need, but WE DO!
You get to elect what your children learn. If you think your children need to know how to cook food, fix a car, balance a checkbook, perform first-aid, study their Bible, use a MIG welder, or paint a house, you can make that part of your school.
You don't have to add the things you think are important ON TOP of your already busy school schedule--you can teach them in place of other subjects, like sentence diagramming and math with imaginary numbers.
You decide, because you know best. Don't second-guess yourself. You know what your children need, and God knows more. Just do it, and stop thinking that "experts" know more than you do ... because they don't.
Be Real,
Todd
familyman@familymanweb.com
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Contest Corner
For the month of February 2016
Ann McCallum has a Masters degree in education and has taken to writing fun educational books for children. What better way to pique a child's interest in learning, than through their stomach?
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"I really enjoy reading all the THM articles. I learn a lot from Todd Wilson's column. [He's a] funny guy who speaks the simple truth! Thank you very much!"
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Brandon, FL
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"I look forward to THM every Wednesday. I really enjoy Deborah's articles. For some reason, it must be God, she always writes about what I am needing to hear. Her ability to put scripture and God in the middle of all her articles keeps me coming back. I recently have been enjoying the Youngs' [articles] because I have a young man (10) in my house. The encouragement of the Youngs is fabulous. I thank God for parents like them that pave the way for parents like myself and my husband."
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"...I appreciate them both so much. I love Diana's passion for teaching history in a fun and interesting way. And that she is all about relationships first. I love that about Todd as well, and that he always, always says it is okay to relax about the schooling."
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Everett, WA
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